Jeonbuk Football Association president calls on Park Ji-sung: Stop criticizing, if you're so capable, run for president of the Korea Football Association.

According to a recent report by the South Korean media outlet My Daily, Seo Kang-il, chairman of the Jeonbuk Football Association, publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with Park Ji-sung, chairman of the Korea Football Reform Committee, and called on Park to not only criticize him but also to run directly for the presidency of the Korea Football Association.

In an interview with South Korean broadcaster KBS on July 16, Xu Kangri stated, "Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo were once players on the South Korean national team, but what gives them the right to freely express their opinions? What life experiences have they had, and how much do they know about the law?"

He further stated, "If it's just criticism, then don't stop at external evaluations; just run for president of the Korea Football Association."

When discussing the election system for the president of the Korea Football Association, Seo Kang-il also expressed his opposition to reform. He questioned the current discussions about expanding the pool of eligible voters: "How can this be considered a real election?"

He believes that the more people involved in football, the easier it is for factions to form: "The more people in the football circle, the more serious the factional problem becomes. Since the regulations require by-elections to be held within 60 days, they should be followed according to the existing rules. Why amend the rules?"

The Korea Football Reform Committee was established by the Korean Olympic Committee following the South Korean national team's poor performance at the 2026 World Cup, with the aim of promoting reforms to the South Korean football system. The committee is co-chaired by legendary South Korean player Park Ji-sung and Korean Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min.

The Reform Committee held its first meeting on July 6. Following the meeting, Park Ji-sung stated that all parties had reached a consensus that South Korean football needs to regain public trust through greater participation from football professionals and a more democratic electoral process.

Park Ji-sung stated at the time, "Everyone agrees that in order to restore the public's trust in football, it is necessary to involve more people in the football community and to conduct elections through democratic procedures."

He also pointed out: "The existing system can no longer solve the problem, which is a reality that the reform committee must face. Therefore, the Football Association should actively accept and study the proposals put forward by the committee, and the Korean Olympic Committee will also provide administrative support."

Currently, significant controversy remains within the South Korean football community regarding reforms to the Football Association's presidential election system. On one hand, those advocating for reform hope to expand election participation and increase transparency and democracy; on the other hand, some local football association officials worry that expanding the election scope might lead to new factional competition and management problems.